The Belfast Film Festival programme has been floating around for about a week now, and it would seem that eager audiences are already pouncing on tickets for the more notable events. While the programme has continued to expand this year, this expansion has also increased the difficulty to separate the wheat from the chafe when it comes to the smaller films and events.

For those without a programme or inclination to check out the official website, I’m compiling my official picks of the festival. Without further adieu, I present the first part of the annual goodonpaper™ Belfast Film Festival Rundown.

Friday 11th April

Ferris Bullers Day Off (festival) (book online) (trailer)
Titanic Quarter Paint Hall, 9.30pm, £8pp

One of the first events of the festival and predicted to be one of the first to sell out, Ferris Bullers Day Off sits alongside When Harry Met Sally as the two picks for the drive in theatre down at the docks. I’d be ashamed to have to describe this under the pretense that someone potentially hasn’t heard of this film, but if you ashamedly fit under that description, consider it your responsibility to book tickets immediately. ps. Anyone with a car wanna lend me their passenger seat for the evening?

Saturday 12th April

Contested Streets (festival) (trailer)
Conor Lecture Theatre, University of Ulster, 2pm, £4

Contested Streets explores the history and culture of New York City streets from pre-automobile times to the present - made more interesting by the discussion after the film with 3 panelists who will examine how issues raised in the film relate to public space in Belfast. Given all the talk recently of Belfast’s growing urban space, hopefully this should be quite interesting.

Trapped in the Closet (festival) (trailer)
Black Box Cafe, 8pm, £3

Although it’s already seen several screenings at clubnights the town over, R. Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet” series is also showing as part of the festival - another event more likely to sell out before you can get your hands on tickets. For the unaware (enjoy your ignorance while it remains!), R. Kelly has seen to it to invent a new musical genre - the hip-hopra - effectively an impossibly hilarious soap opera composed of him rapping unforeseen nonsense with accompanying cheesy videos. It must be seen to be believed.

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (festival) (book online) (trailer)
QFT, 9.30pm, £6

Briefly described in the programme as a quirky rom-com telling the “quirky love story between two young inmates of an asylum; a woman who thinks she’s a cyborg and a man with who believes he can steal people’s souls” - the description alone was enough to sell me on it. One I definitely won’t be missing.

Dark Water (festival) (book online)
Waterfront Green Room, 2pm - 3am, £15 all-in

Described by No Clarity as “a weekend of some of the most grimy, low budget and downright weird films ever to be shown in Belfast”, Dark Water finds itself transforming the Green Room of the Waterfront Hall into a veritable B-movie nerd-fest into the wee hours. Zombie garb mandatory.

Sunday 13th April

La Antena (festival) (book online)
QFT, 8.30pm, £6

Promising a modern surrealist tinge on German and Soviet silent cinema, The Ariel (La Antena) “is set in a surrealistic, snow covered city ruled by Mr. TV. Only La Voz, a female singer, escapes the rule of Mr. TV. She and her young son are the only persons able to speak. A man, his father and his young daughter join forces with La Voz in an attempt to overthrow the power of Mr. TV.” Sounds potentially visually and aurally stunning - another one for the must-see list.

The English Surgeon (festival) (book online)
QFT, 3.30pm, £6

A soundtrack from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is enough to get my bum on a seat, so I suppose it’s a bonus that the film actually sounds quite interesting. Following Henry Marsh - one of London’s foremost brain surgeons - the film claims to explore the ups and downs of the profession from the devotion inherent in the career to the fragility of the human body and the fear of making fatal mistakes.

15 Second Film Festival (festival) (book online)
QFT, 2pm, £2

As a mourner at the death of Future Shorts in Belfast, the promise of a large helping of short films sounds like an excellent pick me up. An excellent way to end the week too, and for the measly sum of two gold coins.